Otolaryngology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Nasal polyposis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane in the paranasal sinuses. Despite its high prevalence and extensive research its pathogenesis has still not been clearly understood. One of the proposed mechanisms is Th1/Th2 response to Th17/Treg mediated inflammatory process. Mixed Th1 and Th2 cytokine pattern has been reported from India. We examined the clinical profile and serum levels of T helper (Th) cell subsets (Th1, Th2 and Th17) cytokines in patients of nasal polyposis. Hundred cases of nasal polyposis and 40 healthy controls were studied. Polyp tissue and blood samples from these patients were collected. Serum IgE and cytokines (IL-17, IL-1�², IL-21, IL-2, IL-4, IL-27 and TGF-�²) levels were measured using ELISA. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS (version 20.0). Independent t-test data were expressed as mean�±SD. All the tests were two sided with the significance level at probability below 0.05. Patients and healthy volunteers were compared in terms of age, male/female ratio and the presence or absence of allergy. The mean CT scores of the cases were recorded to be 9.06�±1.51. Interleukin (IL)-17, IL-1�², IL-21 and TGF-�² were significantly high (p<0.05) whereas IL-2, IL-4 and IL27 were downregulated in cases with nasal polyposis as compared to healthy controls. High level of IL-17 and its regulating cytokines in nasal polyposis patients raises a concern in effective management and therapeutic recovery of these patients. Th17 may play an important role in regulating allergic inflammation and provides a new immunotherapeutic implication.

Biography

Neelima Gupta is a Professor of Otorhinolaryngology at the University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India. She joined the medical college as a teaching faculty in 2002 and has a research and teaching experience of 15 years. She has more than 35 research publications to her credit and is involved in patient care as well as teaching undergraduates and postgraduate students at her institution. Her special interests are rhinology, chronic rhinosinusitis and olfaction.
Email:write2drneelima@yahoo.com